Developing Curator Drinking Covertly
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been seeking out specifically themed films and shorts to create programs to show to friends. The first, an informal animation collection, required a lot more time than I expected, but was completely worth the result. More than a dozen shorts, demonstrating a variety of styles and stories. (No exchange of monies here, just what I paid to own the pieces). 
Since then, I am helping to plan the warehouse’s blowout NYE bash. Our theme is that of a Speakeasy, leaving lots of creative options for decoration, costumes, activities, and drinks. It roughly parallels our journey from a start-up art cooperative to a more and more organized non-profit entity – an exciting process, of course. However, living out tales of prohibition and gangsters is more exciting, at least on a temporary basis. For the event, it was requested we have some visuals – something reminiscent of the 1920s. A friend who has experience both with lots of films and going non-profit warned me extensively about showing only materials that would not violate copyright with our private party status. Luckily, he also recommended archive.org, a website full of public domain films and music, complete with thumbnails to preview images and user reviews. Within a couple hours, I had tracked down old Betty Boop cartoons where Betty mimics both FDR and Herbert Hoover, and has visions of a mug of beer (not too subtle for the time). I found newsreels proclaiming the end of Prohibition, with footage of raids with men destroying barrels of whiskey with axes in the street. There were films both silent and talking covering scenes in nightclubs and speakeasies, with plenty of gangster and gambling action, and Felix the Cat cartoons where Felix learns about moonshine and quite enjoys it. A few days later, I have close to six hours of public domain and creative commons media (open copyright) ready to go for our gig. It’s pleasing to be able to find films like these and know they can be shown at an event to create atmosphere without running afoul of legal rights, even in creating a party specifically about law breakers 90 years ago.
It’s bizarre to reflect on what life was like for a country banning liquor production. December 31st, 1919 saw lots of private, undisclosed-location parties where people boozed up as much as possible before the January 16th, 1920 start of Prohibition. And yet, when Prohibition was headed for repeal, liquor prices countrywide dropped a full year before becoming legal again, just due to the change in expected market. I can imagine citizens easing off their stockpiles with legal alcohol on the horizon. It’s interesting to think whether this would happen with any other currently illegal drug – though nothing quite compares in terms of widespead legality the world around like alcohol.
Hopefully, tomorrow night will go something like this:
On January 16, 1920, Prohibition began. Only four days after, the 50-50 Club opened in New York City, becoming the first of some 30,000-100,000 speakeasies to operate in that city alone during the “Great Experiment.” The protocol was simple: Knock on a friendly (anonymous) door, give a pre-arranged password, and be permitted to enter. To order, one would “speak easily” (that is, in a quiet tone), and then be served a teacup of gin or whiskey that would either be the “real McCoy” or had just been mixed in someone’s bathtub, depending on the connection and the reliability of the bar owner.”
from “Joe Sent Me” by Dave Sikula
I for one, will be glad to break into a bottle of champagne tomorrow night – and have a sober driver cart me home eventually. And I won’t even have to hide my bubbly in a teacup.
15 comments Wednesday 30 Dec 2009 | m. | Announcements, Audio-Visual
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Hey matey !
how did your night go in the end ?! sounds amazing ! im having a murder mustery event with a 20′s theme, i got the decorations music, and outfit sorted but the colated film footage you got sounds amazing! I know this is a tad cheeky but have you got that in a file format ?! id love to play something simmilar myself at my party !
anyways email me on stussyla dat hotmail dot com
i know its cheeky but if you dont ask you dont get right ?
wishing you well !
Paul
that was ment to be stussylad at hotmail dot com !
Hmm…I don’t have it in a file format that is easy to send, unfortunately. I did searches for Betty Boop, Felix the Cat, 1920s, prohibition, and speakeasy. The best bits were the Betty Boop, Felix the Cat shorts, and some news reels about the repeat of Prohibition. I can’t remember the films I picked out – but I am pretty sure a search for speakeasy would turn up some good options. Good luck!
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